[Paraview] Paraview 3.6.x connection definition files

Utkarsh Ayachit utkarsh.ayachit at kitware.com
Mon Jan 11 16:28:45 EST 2010


Works for me. I'll make "save" on by default.

On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 3:51 PM, Moreland, Kenneth <kmorel at sandia.gov> wrote:
> Utkarsh,
>
> Is there a reason why we should not save all options as opposed to just
> those with the "save" attribute?  I cannot think of a good use case to not
> save an option, and even if there is a good use case wouldn't it be rare
> enough to justify saving by default and having an attribute to turn off
> saving?  Furthermore, until you made that change the behavior has been to
> save all of the options, and to my knowledge no one has complained about
> that.
>
> -Ken
>
>
> On 1/11/10 12:11 PM, "Scott, W Alan" <wascott at sandia.gov> wrote:
>
>> Thanks, you're the greatest!
>>
>> I think that the save attribute is necessary, since we need to --connect-id
>> flag to not be saved between sessions - and to truly be random.  This is
>> mandatory for some of our systems.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Utkarsh Ayachit [mailto:utkarsh.ayachit at kitware.com]
>>> Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 12:05 PM
>>> To: Moreland, Kenneth
>>> Cc: Rick Angelini; Scott, W Alan; ParaView
>>> Subject: Re: [Paraview] Paraview 3.6.x connection definition files
>>>
>>> Folks,
>>>
>>> I've committed a fix for this. The updating of the user's
>>> servers.pvsc file was totally unnecessary (there was code
>>> elsewhere that handled BUG #5487). However the user
>>> selections for only those <Option /> elements that have the
>>> "save" attribute set to true are preserved across sessions.
>>>
>>> Refer to
>>> http://www.paraview.org/Wiki/ParaView:Server_Configuration#Cas
>>> e_Eight:_Starting_server_using_ssh
>>>
>>> for details on the "save" attribute. I am wondering if that's
>>> even needed and we can always save all options i.e. assume
>>> "save" is true by default. What do you think?
>>>
>>> Utkarsh
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 10:45 AM, Moreland, Kenneth
>>> <kmorel at sandia.gov> wrote:
>>>> I've submitted a bug on this issue:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.paraview.org/Bug/view.php?id=9866
>>>>
>>>> Please take a look at it and see if it and the suggested solution
>>>> addresses the problem.
>>>>
>>>> -Ken
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 11/5/09 12:25 PM, "Rick Angelini" <angel at arl.army.mil> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Alan - I think that you do want to allow the user to create
>>> their own
>>>> connection definitions files, so you need to maintain the
>>>> functionality of item #2 & item #4. Maybe there's a check
>>> to make sure
>>>> that the user-defined connection is not the same name as
>>>> system-defined connection (thus won't overwrite?). Or, better yet,
>>>> differentiate the connections with something like
>>> "User:BigRedCluster"
>>>> and "Global:BigRedCluster" depending on where the
>>> definition was read from?
>>>>
>>>> Scott, W Alan wrote:
>>>>> Seems to me that we really want ParaView to do the following:
>>>>> * Read server connection information from a system level file.
>>>>> * Read server connection information from a user level file. This
>>>>> information shall not override anything read in from the
>>> system level
>>>>> file. (Do we even need this file?)
>>>>> * Read in the user's default connection information from a
>>> user level
>>>>> file.
>>>>> * Allow the user to edit the server information. (Do we even need
>>>>> this
>>>>> step?)
>>>>> * When ParaView finishes, write out the current server information
>>>>> (from the system level and the user level) into a user level file.
>>>>> (Do we even need this?)
>>>>> * Write preferences into a preferences file.
>>>>> Thoughts?
>>>>> Alan
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>> ---
>>>>>     *From:* Moreland, Kenneth
>>>>>     *Sent:* Thursday, November 05, 2009 8:02 AM
>>>>>     *To:* Rick Angelini; Scott, W Alan
>>>>>     *Cc:* ParaView
>>>>>     *Subject:* Re: [Paraview] Paraview 3.6.x connection definition
>>>>> files
>>>>>
>>>>>     It sounds like the major problem is that ParaView is taking the
>>>>>     server connection configurations from the system files and
>>>>> writing
>>>>>     them in the servers.pvsc configuration file the first time it
>>>>>     encounters them, where they forever override any changes to the
>>>>>     system files. I believe this behavior was introduced
>>> to save the
>>>>>     user's last entries for the parameters as the default for the
>>>>> next
>>>>>     invocation (bug #5487).
>>>>>
>>>>>     This is an important feature, but perhaps this is not the best
>>>>> way
>>>>>     to implement it. Perhaps ParaView should be saving the server
>>>>>     connection argument parameters in the regular settings
>>> key/value
>>>>>     file. That way you could leave the system server
>>> settings in the
>>>>>     system files and nothing would override them. Does that sound
>>>>> like
>>>>>     the right thing?
>>>>>
>>>>>     -Ken
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>     On 11/5/09 6:00 AM, "Rick Angelini" <angel at arl.army.mil> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>         Alan, yes, you've demonstrated the problem I found
>>> with the
>>>>> pvsc
>>>>>         files. It's a difficult problem:
>>>>>
>>>>>         Ideally, we want to provide
>>>>>         1. Global server connection definitions
>>>>>         2. User-defined server connection definitions
>>>>>         3. the ability save persistent information
>>> (username, remote
>>>>> shell
>>>>>         executable, ProjectID, etc, etc) as defined by the pvsc
>>>>> definition
>>>>>         4. Update the global connection definition and have it
>>>>>         override any
>>>>>         previous definition
>>>>>
>>>>>         I think that it's a slightly larger issue than
>>> just managing
>>>>>         variables
>>>>>         that may exist between the user copy of the definition and
>>>>> the
>>>>>         global
>>>>>         copy - we need to provide the capability to drop
>>> in a totally
>>>>>         new global
>>>>>         pvsc file and have it override anything that may have been
>>>>> saved
>>>>>         locally. For instance, we just switched our queuing system
>>>>>         from LSF to
>>>>>         PBS and the entire pvsc file changed. Ideally,
>>> when the new
>>>>> global
>>>>>         server definition was dropped into the place, the user copy
>>>>>         for that
>>>>>         server would be totally replaced by the new definition.
>>>>>
>>>>>         Scott, W Alan wrote:
>>>>>         >
>>>>>         > Rick,
>>>>>         > It sure looks wrong to me. I did as you said -
>>>>>         > * Deleted my local .config/ParaView/servers.pvsc file.
>>>>>         > * Ran ParaView, connected to a remote server, then closed
>>>>>         ParaView.
>>>>>         > - This read in my default_servers.pvsc file
>>>>>         > - Wrote out a new local
>>> .config/ParaView/servers.pvsc file.
>>>>>         > * I then changed one of the options to be wrong in the
>>>>> users
>>>>>         > servers.pvsc file. (I used max NODES, which should
>>>>> obviously
>>>>>         be from
>>>>>         > the system default_servers.pvsc). This information was
>>>>> still
>>>>>         correct
>>>>>         > in the default_server.pvsc file.
>>>>>         > * Upon rerunning ParaView, the wrong information
>>> was picked
>>>>>         up from
>>>>>         > the servers.pvsc file.
>>>>>         >
>>>>>         >
>>>>>         > What would be the correct behavior? We want to
>>> always use
>>>>> the
>>>>>         default
>>>>>         > value from the user's servers.pvsc file, but we
>>> want to use
>>>>>         all of the
>>>>>         > other variables from the default_servers.pvsc
>>> file. Right?
>>>>>         >
>>>>>         > Alan
>>>>>         >
>>>>>         > > -----Original Message-----
>>>>>         > > From: Rick Angelini [mailto:angel at arl.army.mil]
>>>>>         > > Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 8:36 AM
>>>>>         > > To: Scott, W Alan
>>>>>         > > Cc: ParaView; Moreland, Kenneth
>>>>>         > > Subject: Re: [Paraview] Paraview 3.6.x connection
>>>>>         definition files
>>>>>         > >
>>>>>         > > You're correct, the FIRST place it looks is for the
>>>>> system
>>>>>         default.
>>>>>         > > However, the SECOND place it looks is the user's area,
>>>>> which
>>>>>         > > OVERRIDES
>>>>>         > > the systems default, as best as I can tell. If HostA is
>>>>>         defined in
>>>>>         > > the default_servers.pvsc, the first time it
>>> gets loaded
>>>>> it
>>>>>         is then
>>>>>         > > saved into the user's local servers.pvsc file.
>>> I need to
>>>>> do
>>>>>         more
>>>>>         > > testing, but it looks like even if the
>>> default.pvsc file
>>>>> is
>>>>>         > > updated, the original definition that was saved off in
>>>>> the
>>>>>         > > users area is used.
>>>>>         > >
>>>>>         > >
>>>>>         > > Scott, W Alan wrote:
>>>>>         > > > Rick,
>>>>>         > > > To be honest, I didn't even realize that there was a
>>>>>         > > servers.pvsc in
>>>>>         > > > the home directory. The first place that
>>> ParaView looks
>>>>>         for GUI
>>>>>         > > > connection information is in your Paraview
>>> install area.
>>>>>         > > On our LANS,
>>>>>         > > > this is
>>> .../3.6.2/Linux-x86_64/lib/paraview-3.6 (which
>>>>> is
>>>>>         really
>>>>>         > > > wherever_paraviews_root_is/lib/paraview-3.6) I have a
>>>>>         > > > default_servers.pvsc in there.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > For standalone Linux installs, I put this
>>>>>         > > default_servers.pvsc in the
>>>>>         > > > same place .../local_paraview_base/lib/paraview-3.6.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > In XP it goes in the ParaView install directory -
>>>>> c:/Program
>>>>>         > > > Files/ParaView 3.6.2/bin.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > Give me a call if you want to discuss.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > Alan
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > ------ Forwarded Message
>>>>>         > > > *From: *Rick Angelini <angel at arl.army.mil>
>>>>>         > > > *Date: *Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:55:10 -0600
>>>>>         > > > *To: *<ParaView at paraview.org>
>>>>>         > > > *Subject: *[Paraview] Paraview 3.6.x connection
>>>>>         definition files
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > I have questions regarding the use of connection
>>>>>         > > definition files.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > I have created numerous connection
>>> definition files for
>>>>>         various
>>>>>         > > > clusters
>>>>>         > > > and compute systems that we have here. Up until
>>>>>         > > now, I've been
>>>>>         > > > distributing those pvsc files through a common
>>>>>         > > directory that all
>>>>>         > > > of my
>>>>>         > > > users have access to. They manually load the pvsc
>>>>>         > > files into their
>>>>>         > > > session, and those server definitions get
>>> automatically
>>>>>         > > saved into
>>>>>         > > > $HOME/.config/ParaView/servers.pvsc. The
>>>>>         > > connection definition
>>>>>         > > > files work great and are a huge time saver
>>> for Paraview
>>>>>         users -
>>>>>         > > > particularly in an environment where we need to
>>>>>         > > establish SSH tunnels,
>>>>>         > > > modify ports and connection IDs, etc.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > The problem lies in what happens when I want
>>> to change
>>>>>         > > one or more of
>>>>>         > > > those pvsc files (presumably to incorporate a change
>>>>>         > > that will improve
>>>>>         > > > functionality, performance, etc 8-) I update the
>>>>>         > > pvsc file in the
>>>>>         > > > common directory, and then I need to notify all of my
>>>>>         > > Paraview users
>>>>>         > > > that there's an update to the PVSC files and
>>> that they
>>>>>         need to
>>>>>         > > > delete/replace their existing definition
>>> with a new one.
>>>>> This
>>>>>         > > > scenario
>>>>>         > > > is awkward and requires some effort on the
>>> users' part
>>>>>         > > - it would be
>>>>>         > > > nice if there were a more automatic solution.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > So, I've been looking at using a default_servers.pvsc
>>>>>         > > file which in
>>>>>         > > > theory is a great idea. All users would have access
>>>>>         > > to a common pvsc
>>>>>         > > > file that I can control and update as
>>> necessary, with
>>>>> no
>>>>>         updates
>>>>>         > > > required by the user. Well, unfortunately, it doesn't
>>>>>         > > seem to really
>>>>>         > > > work that way. The default_servers.pvsc file is read
>>>>>         > > in the first
>>>>>         > > > time ParaView is loaded, and then those server
>>>>>         > > definitions are saved
>>>>>         > > > back to the $HOME/.config/ParaView directory. The
>>>>> servers are
>>>>>         > > > presumably saved off to preserve some of the
>>>>>         > > information as defined in
>>>>>         > > > the PVSC file - I have numerous fields (UserID,
>>>>>         ProjectID, SSH
>>>>>         > > > executable labeled with "save=true" so that that
>>>>>         information is
>>>>>         > > > carried
>>>>>         > > > over between sessions.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > This is where we start to run into problems.
>>>>>         > > According to the
>>>>>         > > > WIKI,
>>>>>         > > > the last server definition loaded take
>>> precedence, so
>>>>> if
>>>>>         I make
>>>>>         > > > changes
>>>>>         > > > to the "default_servers.pvsc" file, it gets loaded
>>>>> prior to
>>>>>         > > > "$HOME/.config/ParaView/servers.pvsc". Unless I'm
>>>>> missing
>>>>>         > > > something,
>>>>>         > > > once the server definitions are initialized the first
>>>>>         > > time they are
>>>>>         > > > recognized and saved off to the user's .config
>>>>>         > > directory, the default
>>>>>         > > > servers will never have precedence, even if I
>>>>>         change/update the
>>>>>         > > > contents. Unless the ServerName is changed for each
>>>>>         > > subsequent update
>>>>>         > > > of a particular server, any updated server in the
>>>>>         > > default servers file
>>>>>         > > > won't be loaded. Am I on the right track here - have
>>>>>         > > I missed or
>>>>>         > > > assumed something that I shouldn't have? It looks
>>>>>         > > like all of the
>>>>>         > > > hooks are *almost* there to manage the server
>>>>> definitions
>>>>>         .....
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > Also, using 3.6.1, I went through the process of
>>>>> created a
>>>>>         > > > default_servers.pvsc, having those servers
>>>>>         > > automatically loaded in my
>>>>>         > > > ParaView session, and then have them saved
>>> off into a
>>>>> local
>>>>>         > > > servers.pvsc
>>>>>         > > > file. However, during the next Paraview session, the
>>>>>         > > definitions
>>>>>         > > > don't
>>>>>         > > > work properly - it seems as those the only the last
>>>>> item
>>>>>         in an
>>>>>         > > > enumerated list are available through the GUI, and in
>>>>>         > > general it just
>>>>>         > > > doesn't work correctly. If those same server
>>>>>         > > definitions are loaded
>>>>>         > > > manually by the user and saved locally, they work
>>>>>         > > fine. So, there's
>>>>>         > > > apparently an issue related to the use of the
>>>>>         > > default_servers.pvsc and
>>>>>         > > > how those definitions are saved out to the user's
>>>>>         > > server.pvsc file.
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > _______________________________________________
>>>>>         > > > Powered by www.kitware.com
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > Visit other Kitware open-source projects at
>>>>>         > > > http://www.kitware.com/opensource/opensource.html
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > Please keep messages on-topic and check the ParaView
>>>>> Wiki
>>>>> at:
>>>>>         > > > http://paraview.org/Wiki/ParaView
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > Follow this link to subscribe/unsubscribe:
>>>>>         > > > http://www.paraview.org/mailman/listinfo/paraview
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message
>>>>>         > > >
>>>>>         > >
>>>>>         > >
>>>>>         >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>     **** Kenneth Moreland
>>>>>     *** Sandia National Laboratories
>>>>>     ***********
>>>>>     *** *** *** email: kmorel at sandia.gov
>>>>>     ** *** ** phone: (505) 844-8919
>>>>>     *** web: http://www.cs.unm.edu/~kmorel
>>>>>     <http://www.cs.unm.edu/%7Ekmorel>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>    ****      Kenneth Moreland
>>>>     ***      Sandia National Laboratories
>>>> ***********
>>>> *** *** ***  email: kmorel at sandia.gov
>>>> **  ***  **  phone: (505) 844-8919
>>>>     ***      web:   http://www.cs.unm.edu/~kmorel
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Powered by www.kitware.com
>>>>
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>>>> Please keep messages on-topic and check the ParaView Wiki at:
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>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>   ****      Kenneth Moreland
>    ***      Sandia National Laboratories
> ***********
> *** *** ***  email: kmorel at sandia.gov
> **  ***  **  phone: (505) 844-8919
>    ***      web:   http://www.cs.unm.edu/~kmorel
>
>
>
>


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